Home, Backyard Gardening Vital: Reddy

Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Mahendra Reddy with the Fiji National University acting vice chancellor Ian Rouse at the seond 2015 International Food Festival in FNU Namaka cammpus in yesterday. Photo: LUKE NACEI

Staff and students of Fiji National University (FNU) were encouraged to practice home and backyard gardening to help promote healthy living.

Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Mahendra Reddy stressed the importance of food gardening and farming during the opening of the 2015 International Food Festival at the FNU Namaka Campus last Saturday.

“Backyard gardening can inspire you to take an interest in the origins of your food and make better choices about what you put on your plate,” Mr Reddy said.

Mr Reddy said the event was timely because of the spread of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Fiji.

“The theme ‘Home Garden and Backyard Farming-Food for All’ is appropriate in terms of the high rate of non-communicable diseases that occur in the country because of the type of diet and the lack of exercise that we create.

“It is the youths who will carry the nation forward. Educating them in the right direction would ensure that the nation will move forward in the correct avenue.

“The FijiFirst Government’s focus is to reduce food import and increase our food production on local commodities because they are nutritious, healthy and reduces Government’s importation bill.”

He said eating the right types of food would help progress in a child’s life.

“Parents need to take note that Year 9 to 13 will be sitting for exams and they need to be fed well with locally produced fruits and vegetables to enhance their learning abilities and therefore produce better results in their exams.”